


I Thought You Were Dead

by Veeebles



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Coping, Depression, F/M, Nightmares, Wendigo!Josh, wendigoes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-25 00:19:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9794057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veeebles/pseuds/Veeebles
Summary: She moved over to the window that looked out onto the front of the lodge. She shivered as a gust of wind hit her, blowing her hair out of her eyes, chilling the exposed skin of her neck and causing goose bumps to cascade all over her body.She squinted out into the dark, the blizzard whirling thick flakes of snow in the air making it hard to see, but she could just make out the shadows of them, crawling here and there, circling the lodge, watching her, waiting.`A noise screeched through the air, not quite one of their screams, but a snarl, a warning, not to her, but to them. He didn’t like when they got too close to her, to his prey.He was here.





	

_The air was cold; snow blowing in through the open windows; every one was opened in the cabin._

_Sam descended the stairs slowly, ears tuned into every little squeak and creak the boards beneath her bare feet made. She hugged herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms in an attempt to ward off the biting chill of the air. She wore only a thin nightdress, her hair hung loose around her shoulders, tickling her sensitive skin as it swayed in the wind moving through the space._

_She felt like she was being watched. She_ knew _she was._

_The night was dark and silent, the whistle of the wind the only sound tearing through. The cabin was dark and scary at night; the Washington’s decoration of masks and huge paintings played tricks on her eyes. Red balloons floated here and there, the snow blowing in through the windows beginning to lie on the wooden floors._

_She moved over to the window that looked out onto the front of the lodge. She shivered as a gust of wind hit her, blowing her hair out of her eyes, chilling the exposed skin of her neck and causing goose bumps to cascade all over her body._

_She squinted out into the dark, the blizzard whirling thick flakes of snow in the air making it hard to see, but she could just make out the shadows of them, crawling here and there, circling the lodge, watching her, waiting._

_`A noise screeched through the air, not quite one of their screams, but a snarl, a warning, not to her, but to them. He didn’t like when they got too close to her, to_ his _prey._

_He was here._

_She backed away from the window, heart hammering in her chest, palms tingling with her nerves, blood rushing in her ears. She could feel the adrenaline fill her as a figure became clearer in the dark, the snow shifting beneath clawed feet, those blood curdling noises coming closer and louder._

_She thought to run, but her body wouldn’t move. She watched, paralysed as he came into view, snow that wouldn’t melt on his cold, decayed skin powdering his cheeks. Well, one of his cheeks, and most of what was left of the other. He crouched just beyond the window, half cloaked in shadows but she could see the glints of his big eyes, staring right into her own. His breathing came in horrible, ragged breaths._

_She backed up slowly when a clawed, grey hand gripped the window pane, then another, then he was climbing inside, a clawed foot on the kitchen countertop. He moved with an inhuman grace, climbing down to stand on the wooden boards. His eyes never left her._

_He stalked towards her, his body crouched, his limbs seeming exaggerated, those long, sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight._

_Sam felt the wall against her back and realised she was cornered, nowhere to run. She pressed back into the cold wood, squeezing her eyes shut, holding her breath and praying for her life._

_She felt cold breath on her chest, heard his rasping breathing so close. Her skin tingled with how close he was to her and she knew if she opened her eyes he would be_ right there _._

_“Hello, Sammy.”_

_She could have sobbed at the sound of that all too familiar voice, hindered by the ragged breaths and trying to speak around his protruding teeth. His breath smelled of blood and she felt bile rise in her throat._

_He called her Sammy. She felt tears prick at the back of her eyes, the boy she had known still in there somewhere, somewhere in this monster._

_“Been dreaming of you, Sammy,” he continued, body pressing closer. One claw ran softly down her left arm and she fought every instinct that told her to run._

_“Hunting you was fun, Sammy, you fly like a little bird, but I can always catch you…”_

_She could hear the others outside; their screeches coming closer. She imagined the sight of them if she opened her eyes, looming, spindly creatures, crouching in the dark, eyes on her, hungry, angry, terrifying. She was scared of them, but the creature that crouched before her, trapping her against the wall in this place shook her to her core, shot fear unlike anything she had ever felt before into her very soul._

_“I bet you’ll taste real good, Sammy,” a claw climbed up her arm, across her chest, across the skin of her neck, digging deeper and she gasped when he drew blood. She sensed him freeze, a low growl building in his chest and she knew he would be watching her blood drip down her skin with fascination._

_“Your skin is so soft and tender…I will hardly even need to use my teeth…”_

_The screeching outside grew loud, loud enough to make her scream back, but those teeth sinking into her skin, tearing at her flesh stole her voice from her. Her body collapsed and her eyes flew open, staring up at the figure looking over her, blood dripping from his mouth, eyes like fire watching her like she was the most delectable thing in this world._

_Josh, please…_

_Her blood was the only warm thing she knew, pouring from her like a river. The Wendigo descended and her world went black, all she knew was the searing pain as her flesh was torn from her bones and the screams of the other Wendigoes in the room._

 

 

 

 

Sam jerked awake, breathing hard.

Her bed sheets were tangled around her, skin soaked in cold sweat, heart hammering in her ears, tears staining her cheeks, sobs still in her throat.

She was shaking, she realised, as she raised her hands to wipe the wetness from her cheeks. The sobs didn’t stop, she doubled over as that face flashed before her eyes and more tears came, falling into her hands.

She shivered and realised her window was open, cold air breezing through, her curtains shifting, the candles she had light beside her bed long blown out.

She sniffed, huffing out a breath and holding her cold hands against her cheeks, warm from her crying. She concentrated on slowing her breathing; taking deep breaths, fists clenching and unclenching in her bed sheets, clinging to the reality of her surroundings.

She wasn’t in that cabin. She was in her room, in her home. She wasn’t near that mountain. Those monsters wouldn’t come for her.

Josh was dead.

Sobs racked through her anew, she shoved her pillow into her face, muffling her sobs, holding her tears, his decayed, twisted face still fresh in her memory. The feel of his cold skin against hers. The smell of his dead breath. The feeling of his teeth ripping at her skin.

The guilt came as her tears were subdued, her body exhausted from crying. She felt numb. She usually did when she thought of him. Months she had spent lying in the dark imagining what had happened to him. She had begged the authorities to go back for him, to find him. But they had come back, telling her her worst fears. He had become a monster like the rest.

She sighed, sitting up and letting the cool night air chill her skin. She breathed in and out, refusing to cry any more.

Josh was gone, she had to accept that sooner or later. It was as if a light had been switched off in her life. She didn’t find enjoyment in the things she used to. She barely went out climbing or hiking anymore, she hardly ate, barely slept save for these awful nightmares. She was tired, tired of being sad, of missing him, of wishing with every cell in her body things could have been different, that they had never went back to that awful cabin.

She threw the covers off her body and went to her window, tying her hair up as she did. She pushed aside the curtains and went to pull the window closed but froze at the shadowy shape she saw beyond the glass.

She must still be sleeping. She must.

A scream was in the back of her throat but the shock and fear paralysed and silenced her. Her eyes stared wide and stunned at what she saw.

Josh had a black hood pulled over his head, shadows making him hard to see in the garden of her small, ground floor apartment but it was definitely him. Those wide eyes boring into hers.

He looked just as terrified.

Something gripped her and she ripped the window as wide open as she could, leaning out and taking a good look, the chilly winter air sobering her.

It was him. It couldn’t not be.

But his face was the same; no horrific teeth escaping through a ripped cheek. His skin wasn’t that awful grey, his arms weren’t longer, his hands were claw-less. He was just Josh.

“Hello…Sammy.”

She screamed then.

His hand shot out and covered her mouth quickly, shushing her and looking around, thankful when none of her neighbours seemed to hear.

She just stood there wide eyed, breathing around his hand. His hand that was warm, soft, no claws, no dead skin, nothing reminiscent of her dreams.

“God, Sammy, shut up! People will think I’m breaking in or something!”

Maybe she was going mad. But being touched by him again, hearing his voice, this entire situation like he was some secret boyfriend sneaking over to see her in the dead of night…it was so absurd to her, so normal when nothing was normal at all.

She laughed, laughed and laughed, muffled by his hand. His bewildered expression only made her laugh more.

She sobered up eventually and the crushing weight of the situation dawned on her as the sock cleared from her system. Her confusion was replaced by question after question, anger, misery, joy…

She pushed his hand away and backed up, “get in here, I don’t want the police being called here because of your dumb ass.”

This was all too strange, too normal. Why did it seem like not a day had passed? Why did it feel like it was just her and Josh again? Her friend, her brother, almost, her crush, her lost one.

She took comfort in watching him awkwardly clamber in to her room, the unearthly grace of the Wendigos nowhere to be seen in him. He shut the window behind him drawing the curtain and turned to just stand there, hands shoved into his hoodie, shifting from foot to foot, not sure at all what to do.

Like she knew.

She sat down on the bed and just stared at him.

“I don’t understand,” she eventually said.

He looked at her, his brow deep with lines of worry.

“I know.”

“That’s not an explanation.”

“I know.”

“you need to tell me what happened.”

“I know.”

She waited.

“I just…”

She waited some more.

“I…”

 

“I just…thought that it would be better…for everyone if…I was dead.”

Her fists thumped against his chest. She wasn’t trying to hurt him. Not really.

She hit him again and again, tears fell when his arms came around her, squeezing her body against his, ceasing her feeble attack.

She struggled against him but her efforts were futile.  

“No! You don’t get to decide that for me! You don’t get to decide whether you’re in or out of my life! I thought you were dead. Do you know what that did to me?”

He stroked her hair when her voice broke and all she could do was cry. God, she was so sick of crying.

He knelt on the floor when her knees gave out, arms still holding her. He always knew what to do for her, the bastard. He had said once they had a connection. She couldn’t deny that.

“I thought…I thought you were dead…”

He was crying too, “I’m so sorry Sammy.”

His kisses were so warm. They felt good on her cold skin; against her forehead, her wet cheeks, her eyelids, her jaw, her lips.

She clung to him, sighing in his arms, burying herself in his warmth, against his beating heart, surrounded by his strong arms.

She let him lift her into the bed, throw the covers over both of them when she refused to let him go.

She found sleep easily, for once, not plagued by nightmares, she didn’t dream at all. She didn’t need to, not when is hands held her all the night long.


End file.
